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Thomas Davis (poet)
| birth_place = Mallow, County Cork, Ireland | death_date = September | death_place = | occupation = Poet, writer | nationality = Irish | ethnicity = White | education = Arts degree | alma_mater = Trinity College, Dublin | period = 1842-1845 | genre = | subject = | movement = Young Ireland | notableworks = A Nation Once Again | spouse = | partner = | children = | relatives = | influences = | influenced = | awards = | signature = | website = | portaldisp = }} Thomas Osborne Davis (14 October 1814 - 16 September 1845) was a revolutionary Irish writer, the chief organizer and poet of the Young Ireland movement.Thomas Osborne Davis, Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica Inc. Web, Aug. 2, 2013. Life Overview Davos was born at Mallow, educated at Trinity College, Dublin, and called to the Irish Bar in 1838. He was one of the founders of The Nation newspaper, and of the Young Ireland party. He wrote some stirring patriotic ballads, originally contributed to The Nation, and afterwards republished as Spirit of the Nation, also a memoir of Curran the great Irish lawyer and orator, prefixed to an edition of his speeches; and he had formed many literary plans which were brought to naught by his untimely death.John William Cousin, "Davis, Thomas Osborne," A Short Biographical Dictionary of English Literature, 1910, 109. Web, Jan. 2, 2018. Youth Davis was born at Mallow, co.Cork. His father, James Thomas Davis, a surgeon in the royal artillery who had been acting deputy-inspector of ordnance hospitals in the Peninsula, died at Exeter, on his way to the continent, in October 1814. His mother, whose maiden name was Atkins, was an Irishwoman, and came of a branch of the Atkins of Firville, co. Cork. As a child, Davis was shy, unready, and self-absorbed. With much difficulty he learnt to read, and he took but little interest in boyish games.Barker, 171. After receiving an education at a mixed preparatory school, he was admitted to Trinity College, Dublin, where he was chiefly known as a steady, plodding reader. He earned a degree in the spring of 1836, and in the following year published an anonymous pamphlet on the Reform of the Lords. By a Graduate of Dublin University. Between 1836 and 1838 he spent much of his time in London and on the continent, studying modern languages and collecting a library of books. He was called to the bar in Michaelmas term, 1838. Career Though he sometimes joined in the debates of the College Historical Society (of which he was elected auditor in 1840), his speeches were distinguished more by their learning than for their eloquence. He contributed several papers to the Citizen, a monthly magazine established in Dublin by some of the leading members of the Historical Society. Up to this period Davis had not yet avowed the nationalist principles of which he afterwards became one of the chief exponents. In 1839 he joined the Repeal Association and entered the field of practical politics. Though Davis was a protestant and brought up among tory surroundings, one of his chief objects was to break down the fierce antagonism between the Roman catholics and the protestants of his country. He joined the Repeal Association, though under O'Connell's influence it was practically a Roman catholic society. Within this association, under Davis's leadership, the party of Young Ireland, impatient of O'Connell's constitutional methods and limited aims, was gradually developed. In 1840 Davis wrote a number of articles on the state of Europe for the Dublin Morning Register, and early in 1841 became joint editor of that paper with his friend John Dillon. Their connection with the Register did not continue long, and in July 1842 Davis, Duffy, and Dillon founded the Nation newspaper, the first number of which appeared on 15 Oct. 1842. Written with much vigour and great singleness of purpose, the Nation immediately sprang into popularity, and obtained a circulation more than 3 times as great as the chief conservative paper in the country. Its principal object was, as stated in the prospectus (which, with the exception of a single sentence, was written by Davis), "to direct the popular mind and the sympathies of educated men of all parties to the great end of nationality." In 1843 Davis projected a series of carefully edited volumes containing the speeches of the orators of Ireland with historical introductions, and started the series by an edition of the Speeches of the Right Honourable John Philpot Curran, with a Memoir. By a Barrister, which was published by Duffy, the Dublin publisher, in 1844.Barker, 172. In spite of his many occupations Davis worked laboriously on the committee of the Repeal Association, though he but rarely spoke at the meetings. His speech at the Conciliation Hall on 26 May 1845, where he was furiously attacked by O'Connell, was almost the last time that he spoke in public. Davis was an indefatigable worker, a man of much learning and intimately acquainted with the history and antiquities of Ireland. He was a member of the Royal Irish Academy, and interested himself much in the work of the Art Union, the Dublin Library, and other artistic and antiquarian societies. He was absolutely honest and sincere in his convictions, and though his political opinions were of an extreme character he promised to be something more than a mere revolutionist. Death At the time of his death he was engaged in writing a Life of Theobald Wolfe Tone for Duffy's Library of Ireland; but though the scheme of the volume had been methodically drawn up, only the dedication and the introductory chapter had been written. The completion of the work was entrusted to John Dillon, but it was never carried out. Among his papers was found a plan for the republication of the notices of James II's Irish parliament. He proposed to undertake the editorship of the volumes and to name them The Patriot Parliament of 1689, with the Statutes, Biographical Notices of King, Lords and Commons, &c. An "Essay on Irish Songs," written by him, forms the preface to M.J. Barry's Songs of Ireland (1845). Davis died of fever in his mother's house, No. 67 Baggot Street, Dublin, on 16 Sept. 1845, in the 31st year of his age, and was buried at Mount Jerome cemetery. Writing Much of The Nation's success was due to the stirring national poems which appeared from time to time in its pages. A great number of these were contributed by Davis, who, until the starting of the Nation, had never written a line of verse in his life. It seems almost incredible that such a ballad as the "Sack of Baltimore" (the last poem which Davis wrote) should have been the work of an almost unpractised hand. "Máire Bhán a Stoír," "The Flower of Finae," and "My Grave" are excellent examples of his tenderness and pathos, while the "Geraldines" and "Fontenoy" are full of genuine fervour and patriotic sentiment. In point of style Davis's prose writings are by no means equal to his poems, and are too often wanting in ease and simplicity of expression. Recognition A marble statue by Hogan was erected over Davis's grave at Mount Jerome cemetery. Davis's Poems were collected and published after his death, and formed one of the volumes of Duffy's Library of Ireland for 1846. His Literary and Historical Essays, which had been contributed by him to the ‘Nation,’ were also published in the same year, and formed one of the same series. In the preface to this volume other selections from his writings were promised, as well as his Life and Correspondence. They were, however, never published. The only portrait of Davis painted in his lifetime was by Henry McManus, R.H.A., and was in the possession of Sir Charles Gavan Duffy, formerly editor of the Nation. With the aid of this Burton drew from memory a portrait, which has been several times both lithographed and engraved. Two portraits, slightly differing one from another, will be found in the volumes of the Dublin University Magazine and the Cabinet of Irish Literature. In the preface to Parra Sastha (1845) William Carleton paid an affectionate tribute to Davis's memory, and Sir Samuel Ferguson, deputy-keeper of the records in Ireland, wrote a "Lament for Thomas Davis," commencing with the line "I walked through Ballinderry in the spring-time." A statue of Davis, created by Edward Delaney, was unveiled on College Green, Dublin, in 1966, attended by the Irish president, Éamon de Valera. One of the secondary schools in Davis' home town of Mallow, Davis College, is named after him. A number of GAA clubs around the country are also named after him; including the one based in Tallaght, Dublin and the one based in Corrinshego. Publications Poetry *''Poems'' (edited by Thomas Wallis). Dublin: James Duffy / London: Simkin, Marshall, 1846 * new edition (with an introduction by James Mitchel). New York & Boston: D. & J. Sadlier, 1866. *''National and Historical Ballads, Songs, and Poems'' (edited by Thomas Wallis). Dublin: James Duffy, 1869. Prose *''The Patriot Parliament of 1689'': first edition (1843) ** third edition (with an introduction by Charles Gavan Duffy). London: T.F. Unwin / New York: P.J. Kenedy, 1893. *''The Life of the Right Hon. J.P. Curran. Dublin: James Duffy, 1846. *''Letters of a Protestant, on Repeal. letters originally published in “The Nation” (edited by Thomas F. Meagher). Dublin: Printed for the Irish Confederation by W. Holden, 1847. *''Literary and Historical Essays'' (edited by Charles Gavan Duffy). Dublin: James Duffy, 1846. *''Prose Writings'' (edited by T.W. Rolleston). London: Walter Scott, 1889. Collected editions *''Irish National Ballads, Songs, and Essays''. Dublin: James Duffy, 1848. *''Thomas Davis: Selections from his prose and poetry'' (edited by T.W. Rolleston). London: T.F. Unwin, 1914. *''Thomas Davis the Thinker and Teacher: The essence of his writings in prose and poetry'' (edited by Arthur Griffith). Dublin: M.H. Gill, 1914. *''Essays and Poems; with a centenary memoir''. Dublin: M.H. Gill, 1945. Except where noted, bibliographical information courtesy WorldCat.Search results = au:Thomas Davis, WorldCat, Web, Aug. 2, 2013. See also *List of Irish poets References . Wikisource, Web, Feb. 5, 2017. *''The Politics of Irish Literature: From Thomas Davis to W.B. Yeats'', Malcolm Brown, Allen & Unwin, 1973. *John Mitchel, A Cause Too Many, Aidan Hegarty, Camlane Press. *Thomas Davis, The Thinker and Teacher, Arthur Griffith, M.H. Gill & Son 1922. *Young Ireland and 1848, Dennis Gwynn, Cork University Press 1949. *Daniel O'Connell The Irish Liberator, Dennis Gwynn, Hutchinson & Co, Ltd. *Smith O’Brien And The “Secession”, Dennis Gwynn,Cork University Press *John Mitchel Noted Irish Lives, Louis J. Walsh, The Talbot Press Ltd 1934. *Thomas Davis: Essays and Poems, Centenary Memoir, M. H Gill, M.H. Gill & Son, Ltd MCMXLV. *William Smith O'Brien and the Young Ireland Rebellion of 1848, Robert Sloan, Four Courts Press 2000 *Irish Mitchel, Seamus MacCall, Thomas Nelson and Sons Ltd 1938. *Ireland Her Own, T. A. Jackson, Lawrence & Wishart Ltd 1976. *Life and Times of Daniel O'Connell, T. C. Luby, Cameron & Ferguson. *Young Ireland, T. F. O'Sullivan, The Kerryman Ltd. 1945. *Irish Rebel John Devoy and America's Fight for Irish Freedom, Terry Golway, St. Martin's Griffin 1998. *Charles Gavan Duffy: Conversations With Carlyle (1892), with Introduction, Stray Thoughts On Young Ireland, by Brendan Clifford, Athol Books, Belfast, (ISBN 0 85034 1140). (Pg. 32 Titled, Foster’s account Of Young Ireland.) *Envoi, Taking Leave Of Roy Foster, by Brendan Clifford and Julianne Herlihy, Aubane Historical Society, Cork. *The Falcon Family, or, Young Ireland, by M. W. Savage, London, 1845. (An Gorta Mor)Quinnipiac University * Notes External links ;Poems *Davis in A Victorian Anthology: "The Boatman of Kinsale," "The Sack of Baltimore," "The Welcome" *Thomas Osborne Davis at PoemHunter (33 poems) *Thomas Osborne Davis at Poetry Nook (45 poems) ;Books * ;About *Thomas Osborne Davis at Library Ireland *Thomas Osborne Davis (1814-1845) at Ricorso *Thomas Osborne Davis in the Cambridge History of English and American Literature *Thomas Davis, leader of the Young Ireland Movement at University College, Cork. Category:1814 births Category:1845 deaths Category:Alumni of Trinity College, Dublin Thomas Osborne Davis Category:Deaths from tuberculosis Category:Irish Anglicans Category:Protestant Nationalists Category:Irish poets Category:Irish people of Welsh descent Category:People from County Cork Category:Young Irelanders Category:Irish newspaper founders Category:19th-century Irish people Category:19th-century poets Category:Poets Category:English-language poets Category:Poets who died before 35